
After falling short to the eventual champion, the Oklahoma City Thunder, in the second round, the Denver Nuggets realized they didn’t have enough to complement Nikola Jokic. Denver came into this offseason with the goal of surrounding Jokic with more talent and depth. They have accomplished that goal this summer.
They swapped Michael Porter Jr. for the more consistent and versatile Cam Johnson. They brought in Tim Hardaway to add more scoring and shooting off the bench. They brought back Bruce Brown, who was with the team when they won it all in 2023.
Arguably the biggest move, though, was bringing in Jonas Valanciunas from Sacramento, giving Denver a valuable backup center for Jokic. This is a weakness the Nuggets have spent years trying to solve. Valanciunas, however, has a lucrative offer to join European power Panathinaikos and has already verbally committed to the team.
Denver does not want to let him out of his contract, but Valanciunas has indicated that he is willing to hold out to get what he wants. If that is truly the case, then the Nuggets have to look at other options via trade.
The Nuggets should target Blazers center Robert Williams III
Whenever Jokic goes to the bench, Denver has been one of the worst teams in the league. Last season when Jokic sat, the Nuggets had a -9.8 net rating and a 106.0 offensive rating. The -9.8 net rating would be the second-worst in the league.
Williams is not the playmaker that Jokic is, but he is an efficient offensive player. For his career, he averages seven points per game on 72 percent shooting. Most of his shots do come in the paint, but being that efficient is impressive.
He thrives in pick and roll situations and would provide Denver with an additional lob threat alongside Aaron Gordon. The Nuggets could run a more diluted two man game with Jamal Murray and Williams that would allow their non-Jokic offense to stay afloat.
Adding Williams would be a low-risk, high-reward move
Defensively, Williams is one of the best rim protectors in the game. He averages almost two blocks per game for his career, has finished in the top ten in Defensive Player of the Year voting, and has been on an All-Defensive team.
This past season, opponents shot 35.5 percent from the field against Williams, and on shots within six feet, rivals shot only 41 percent against him.
The issue with Williams is his health. The last time he played over 60 games was in 2022 (the only time he has done so), and he has played only 26 games over the last two seasons. For Denver, though, he would have a low-leverage role, and he would likely be managed so the team could have him ready for the playoffs.
Valanciunas has made it clear that he wants to continue his career elsewhere. The free agent market for centers is extremely thin, so the Nuggets have to look to trade for one. Portland has also begun to ship off their veterans like DeAndre Ayton and Anfernee Simons, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see them do that with Williams. He would also likely come at a low cost, making his fit with Denver even more enticing.
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July 14, 2025 | 2:00 pm
